Curd-cutter.



no. 7u2,|o5. Patented me lo, |902.

\ J. Lemme.

CURD CUTTER;

(Application led vJan. 18, 1901.)

, 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No odel.)

(/@imesses @Mrorneys Pnoramruo.. wAsHvNm'oN. u. c,

Nu..7o2',|5. Patented me lo, i902.

' J. Lemma.

CURD CUTTER. (Apfzlication med Jan. 1B, 1901.)

(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet'2- y@Nfforrleysl I l UNITED STATESV PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LEMIRE, OF DRUMMONDVILLE, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS ADE- LARD BRIEN, lOF ST. GERMAIN DE GRANTHAM, QUEBEC, CANADA.

CURB-CUTTER.

SPECIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,105, dated June 10, 1902. Application iiled anuarylS, 1901. Serial No. 43,709. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: t Be it known that I, JOSEPH LEMIRE, a sub ject of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Drummondville, county ofl 'Drummond,Prov1nce of Quebec,Canada,have

invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curd-Cutters; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such'vas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse. the same.

My invention relates to improvements in card-cutters, and one object that I have in view is to provide a portable implement especially designed for use yin cheese-factories,

and equipped with means'whereby it may be clamped removably upon a vat or other vessel. Afurther object of the invention is to equip the implementwith a reciprocatory cutterframe adapted to cut the mass of curd into a plurality of sections which are of corresponding cubical area, such `movement of thecutter-frame being effected easily and quickly throughthe medium of a` suitable lever.

,Further objects and advantages of the invention willappear in the course of thesubjoined description, and the novelty in the com-i vblnation, construction, and Y arrangement of parts willfbe pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, forminga part of this specification, -Figure 1 -is a perspective view of my improved curd-cutter. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof'. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in the plane of the dotted line 3 3 on Fig. 2.- Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cutter-frame detached from vthe hopper and the platform...

The same numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in each figure of the drawings.

The working parts of my implement are mounted on a post 10. and a platform 11, said hopper are cut away, so as to'leave wide spaces` between their lower edges and the platform; but the .rear wall of the hopper extends below the edges'of the side walls, as indicated at 16,

the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The reciprocatory cutter-frameconsists of j the side pieces 17 18, having theextens'ions 19 projecting rearwardly therefrom, and these 'sidepieces are connected rmly together by thehorizontal cutters 19 20 and by the valve- .plate 2l. The horizontal cutters are secured to the sides of the cutter-frame, at the rear edges thereof, said'cutters lying in the same vertical plane, andthese cutters are intersected by the vertical cutters 22 23, which extend from the bottomcutter 19a to the valve-plate e the cutter-stripsin a manner well-*understoodv by those skilled` in the art. 'The valve-plate 21 is secured to the lower edges of the extenisions 19,01? the cutterframaan'd the front edge of this valve-plate constitutes a cutting edge, which liesf in thevertical plane of the correspondingv edges of the cutters. Asw'ill be seen, the portion of the Glitterframe inrear of the cutters 'and below the valve-plate'Ql is cut away, so that as the cutl ter-frame is drawn forwardlyltocut-the curdV space between said sides of the cutter-frame,

and works over the valve-plate 21.5 The cutter-frame is thus guided by the platforniand.` the several Walls of the hopper, VVso as to be limited to a reciprocatory movement across the bottom of the hopper, and this movement may be conveniently imparted to said cutter-frame by the lever 24, the same being fulcrumed on the post 10, as at 25. This lever carries a post 426, having the brace 27, and to IOO .v I W f.

the post is pivoted a bail 2S, the free ends of which are bent, as at 29, and provided with the notches 30. Headed pins 3l are secured to the sides of the cutter-frame, with which pins engage the notched angular ends of the connecting-bail, whereby said bail is pivoted to the cutter-frame, which bail serves as the means for connecting the lever and the cutter-frame operatively together.

A handle 32 is secured to the upper part of the implement for conveniently carrying the same by hand.

The lower extremity of the post. l0 is provided with a slot 33, in which is received a clamping-lever 34, the same being of angular' form and having one arm thereof pivoted to the post, as at 35. The upstanding arm of this angular clamping-lever has a cam-lever 36 fulcru med thereon at 37, and said cam-lever is adapted to work against a wear-plate 3S,\vhich is fastened to one face of the post 10.

In using my improvement the platform ll is placed upon the top edge of a vat or other receptacle, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, while the horizontal arm of the clamping-lever 34 fits beneath the bottom of the vat. The cam-lever 36 may now be manipulated so as to tighten the clamping-lever 3-1 against the vat, and thereby firmly secure the implement in position thereon. Owing to the fact that the arm of the lever 34 extends inwardly, and therefore contacts with the vat below the hatten or strip l2, it will be readily understood that these two parts (the batten or strip l2 and the lever 34) operate in opposition to each other to support the curdcutting mechanism in proper position over the vat without necessitating the use of any support-for the rear end of the platform and without placing an undue strain upon the parts, the post being of a length to steady' the device, its contact with the surface of the side of the Vat being maintained by the batten and lever, so that the movements of the cutter-frame will not disturb the position of the post relative to the vat. By leaving the rear end free of support it will be obvious that no particular care need be taken in applying the device in position, and, furthermore, that no special form of vat need be used. In addition the construction is easily removable, and hence the operator may change the position of the device relative to the vat thereby permitting him to move around a large vat as may be desired. Furthermore, it will be readily seen that the extending of the lever 34 inward, so as to assume a position below the vat, together' with the operating-cam of a configuration and location which will not readily be released by strain placed on the inner end of the lever, will prevent any tendency of a vertical movement of the device relative to the vat, said lever and platform operating in opposition to such vertical movement. T his is of advantage in view of the fact that the handle 2li being a pivotally-mounted one and having a movement through the arc of a circle extending upward and downwardly tends to raise the device, which raising is prevented bythe lever 3l, as above pointed out.

Assuming that the hopper is charged with the curd and that the lever is in the raised position, it is only necessary for the operator to depress the lever to make the bail pull the cutter-frame in a forward direction, and this operation forces the cutters and the valveplate through the curd toward the front wall l-l of the hopper. The described movement of the valve-plate cuts off the free passage of the curd from the hopper and at the same time the cutters travel through the curd to cut the lsame into blocks of similar size. With the cutter-frame in its forward position easy access may be obtained by the operator to the cut substance for removing the latter from beneath the valve-plate. During such forward adjustment of the cutter-frame the hopper extension 16 sweeps close to the upper face of the Valve-plate, thus preventing escape of any curd. It is evident that the connecting-bail may be lifted free from engagement with the headed studs to disconnect the cutter-frame from the lever, whereby said cutter-f rame may 'easily be removed from the implement for the purpose of cleansing the same.

Changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts, while their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention is embodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

I claiml. In acurd-cutting device, in combination, an elongated vertically -extending post or standard; a platform fastened to the upper portion of said post, said platform having the batten or strip 12 5 a curd-cutting mechanism mounted to reciprocate horizontally above said platform, said platform forming the bottom for said mechanism, the operating means for said mechanism being pivotally connected to said post and having a movement upwardly from and returning to a substantially horizontal position and clamping means mounted on the lower portion of said post, said means extending inward and operating in opposition to said batten or strip, to prevent lateral and vertical movement of the post, whereby the device may be removably clamped to the vouter side of a. vat, the rear end extending thereover and being unsupported.

2. A curd-cutter comprising a hopper; a slidable cutter-frame disposed below the hopper and provided with a valve-plate; a fixed platform below said cutter-frame, cutters carried by the cutter-frame and disposed below the valve-plate, the cutter-frame in rear of the cutters and below the valve-plate being cut away at the sides, whereby the space in rear of the cutters is freely accessible; and

IOO

means for reciprocating said cutter-frame in, Vwith the lever-arm and arranged to straddle i. a horizontal direction, substantiallyas dethe post and the cutter-frame and provided 3. A curd-cutterconiprisingapostor standstuds or'pins 31 on the cutter-frame, whereby 5 ard; a hoppersecured thereto; aplatform sethe end portions of the bail are loosely and zo scribed. l at itsfreel forked ends with notches 30; and 1 cured to the` post in" spaced relation to the detachablyconnected to the cutter-frame and' hopper and provided With'a depending porf the latter may be easily withdrawn fro'moption 16; a withdrawable cutterfframe slidably erative'relation to the hopper,` substantially fitted between the platform and the hopper as described.

zo 'and provided with a valve-plate 2l arranged In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 25 i to travel close to the depending portion 16, hand in the presence of two witnesses. said cutter-frame having open sides' and an JOSEPH LEMIRE. open rear end below said valve-plate a lever Witnesses:

fulcrumed on the post and having an arm; a T. MYNARD, 15 bailv having a permanent pivotal connection J A. MARION. 

